Man arrested over 'credit card blade' at airport

by r33irby

Ross Irby
Reporter
Reporter Ross Irby has wander-lust mixed with a sense of adventure, spending way too many years roaming about Australia, its back roads and off-shore foreign lands.
Enjoys a yarn, story telling and tales, along with curiosity to find out about the lives and (mis)adventures of others.
An off-beat sense of humour, not taking it all too seriously, along with big doses of flexibility/adaptability whatever the situation is the best way to go.
You have to have the life experiences to have empathy...

VIGILANT security staff at Mackay Airport called police when a credit card held by a boarding passenger was discovered to be bogus and to hold a hidden blade.

The credit card 'knife' was taken from the passenger, Benjamin Davis, who was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon.

Davis, 20, a university student, pleaded guilty in Mackay Magistrates Court to having the illegal blade at the airport at 6pm on September 26 when he was about to board an aircraft bound for Brisbane.

"It appears to be a weapon that folds into a credit card," police prosecutor Sheena Hayes said as she handed up a photo of the weapon to Magistrate Ross Risson.

Ms Hayes said security staff had searched Davis' wallet and the 3cm cutting knife, disguised as a credit card, had been held inside the rigid plastic card.

Ms Hayes said Davis had told police he used the knife on his parent's farm when he visited.

Legal Aid lawyer Kristie Doyle said Davis had been working in Sarina as part of his university degree and previously (on his way to Mackay) had passed through Brisbane Airport security unknowingly with the card.

She described it as being a lack of judgement by Davis who had no prior criminal offences. Ms Doyle asked that no conviction be recorded.

Mr Risson agreed not to record a conviction, saying Davis was a young person with a career and life ahead of him.

"I accept your possession of the knife at the airport was inadvertent and you had forgotten about it. It is not a place to have such an item," he said.